A 26-year-old man has died after a limousine crashed into Berlin’s famous Brandenburg Gate.
Images from the scene show the mangled wreck of the vehicle between two pillars of the German capital's popular sightseeing spot.
Police said no other people were harmed in the crash, which happened shortly before midnight.
In a statement on Monday morning, police said witnesses reported seeing a Mercedes being driven at high speed on nearby Unter den Linden, which leads to the landmark.
The car’s front wheel then reportedly hit a curb, steered to the left and crashed into the second column of the tourist attraction.
“An emergency paramedic from an ambulance that happened to be nearby tried to administer first aid, but had to stop when the car began to smoke,” said police.
The man’s body was retrieved from the vehicle by the Fire Brigade. He has been identified by police who did not release his identity to the public.
Berlin’s Pariser Platz was closed until around 5am for salvage work.
Officers at Berlin Police said investigations into the background and cause of death are ongoing.
Parts of the Brandenburg Gate were covered in soot on Monday, but there appeared to be no major damage to the structure.
